Carlos Alcaraz, the defending champion of this year’s first two Grand Slams, and Naomi Osaka have both been eliminated from the US Open at Flushing Meadows.
Alcaraz suffered a surprising defeat, losing 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 to the Dutch player Botic van de Zandschulp, while Osaka was defeated in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5), by Czech player Karolina Muchova, currently ranked No. 52 in the world.
Unseeded van de Zandschulp, ranked No. 74 globally, was viewed as a significant underdog against Alcaraz, who had been victorious in his last 15 Grand Slam matches. Fans in Arthur Ashe Stadium were taken aback as Alcaraz made a series of uncharacteristic errors during this shocking loss.
“Today I felt like I was playing against my opponent and also battling my own mind,” Alcaraz remarked. “I had a lot of emotions that I couldn’t control.”
The world No. 3 had aspirations of becoming only the third man to win the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open within the same calendar year, following Rod Laver and Rafael Nadal.
“I felt like I was in control at times, but then I would lose points and falter. It was quite the mental rollercoaster,” he explained.
Alcaraz acknowledged that van de Zandschulp’s performance was unexpectedly high. “He played better than I anticipated and didn’t make as many mistakes as I thought he would, which threw me off,” he said. “I was confused and didn’t know how to handle it.”
The 21-year-old also expressed that this was not the first time he struggled to take control of a match. “I believe I need to adapt my approach, and that’s something I must learn from,” Alcaraz stated.
Alcaraz, who won silver at the Paris Olympics after losing to Novak Djokovic, mentioned needing a longer break before the US Open.
Van de Zandschulp, who contemplated retirement due to injuries just months ago, reflected on his victory. “I’m still processing what happened. Maybe it will hit me more emotionally in the coming hours or tomorrow,” he said.
Osaka’s return from maternity leave has faced hurdles. After missing last year’s tournament due to the birth of her daughter Shai, she had a solid start by defeating Jelena Ostapenko, marking her first top-10 win in four years. However, her journey ended in the second round against Muchova, which prevented her from reaching the third round of a major tournament since the 2022 Australian Open.
“It’s been challenging because my performance is ultimately measured by results. I feel faster and better, yet I lost in the second round, which is tough,” Osaka remarked.
Muchova will now advance to face Russia’s Anastasia Potapova in the fourth round. “For me, the biggest achievement this year is just being able to compete again,” said Muchova, who was recovering from a wrist injury that kept her sidelined for nine months after the previous year’s US Open.